For a team of such tradition, it seems incredible: The Trappers - the Hall of Fame team that recently drew its millionth fan, that played to more than 200,000 Utahns in 1991, that won the first three Pioneer League titles it played for - went one day less than four years without winning a playoff game.
They finally got another postseason win Monday night in Derks Field, a tense 3-2 victory in a battle of several of the league's finest pitchers.That forces a winner-take-all championship game tonight in Derks Field at 7 in the best-of-three series that stands one for the Great Falls Dodgers and one, finally, for the Trappers.
The last time they won a postseason game was Sept. 3, 1987, the Year of The Streak. They went the next two seasons missing the playoffs and were swept 3-0 by the Dodgers last year.
The Dodgers won Game 1 of the 1991 series 5-1 at Great Falls Saturday.
Salt Lake finally began turning the tide in the sixth inning, perhaps with help from the Dodgers' pitch limit.
That's why Dodger Manager Glenn Hoffman took out starter Ross Farnsworth after he gave up a leadoff single to Trapper Rick Hirtensteiner. It was only the third Trapper hit, and while one of them was a solo homer by Benny Castillo in the third for a 1-0 lead, Farnsworth came back to retire seven straight.
Meantime, GF worked two hits, a missed double play, errant pickoff and late outfield throwin for two runs in the fourth. A 2-1 advantage could easily have stood up in this game of crafty left-handed starters, Trapper Mark Stephens, the league strikeout leader, opposing Farnsworth.
The Trappers aren't fond of facing Farnsworth, a lefty whose big, wristy, overhand benders make it hard to swing hard. He tied as the league's winningest pitcher with eight.
Hirtensteiner's hit was Farnsworth's 71st pitch. "We're still here to develop the kids," said Hoffman of the pitch limit. He brought on right-handed Nelson Castro to face righty Castillo.
It was the first of five hooks by Hoffman, all going by the percentages. "That's baseball. You've got to believe in it," said Hoffman.
Trapper Manager Nick Belmonte said the changes worked, particularly against Trapper power hitter Carlos Estevez, who drew his own personal pitchers in both the sixth and eighth.
Castro's first pitch hit Castillo, putting men on first and second. With one out, Castro and Trapper Theron Todd locked horns. The Dodgers shaded their center fielder to left, playing Todd to swing late on hard-throwing Castro.
Todd worked the count to 3-2 and kept fouling off pitches. "He was throwing pretty hard," said Todd. "Most of the time, he is up in the strike zone, but that at-bat, he was down. He was 3-0 and threw one low, and they gave it to him, and then he threw two outstanding pitches away. I had to swing," he said.
That Castro was pitching low "gave me an idea to look down, and he threw me one over the middle. It helps when a guy's around the plate," Todd said.
Todd shot a line drive to the huge right-center gap. He hadn't noticed how much room was there until he saw the fielders racing after the ball.
"It was a surprise," Todd said.
It was a two-run double, sending in the tying and eventual winning runs.
"The big blow of the ballgame as far as we're concerned," said Belmonte.
The Dodgers had put forth their trademarks, good pitching and superb defense, and Trapper bats came through while pitchers Stephens (62/3 innings, nine strikeouts) and John Gilligan (three innings, no hits or runs) were keeping it close. They topped the league in ERA, Gilligan at 1.71 and Stephens at 2.43.
"I feel I'm a pressure pitcher," said Gilligan, who entered in the seventh after Patrick Reed doubled off Stephens with two out. Gilligan walked Juan Castro but struck out six of the next seven for the save. Stephens won.
With no tomorrow for anybody, tonight's game will see even more strategy. Dave Marcon (8-2) will start for Salt Lake; Hoffman was undecided. "The way (tonight's) game is, it could be a situation where they'll only go an inning or two," said Belmonte. "Whoever starts may not be as much of a factor as who brings the lumber."